Biological Self-Assembly and Recognition Used to Synthesize and Surface Guide Next Generation of Hybrid Materials

Free-standing, high aspect ratio sulfur-doped carbon nanodot-based hybrid nanowires with a microtubular aspect were synthesized using self-recognition and self-assembly processes of tubulin, a biological molecule precursor of the cytoskeletal microtubule. Physicochemical characterizations (e.g., morphology, diameter, spectral characteristics, etc.) of such user-synthesized hybrid bionanowires were performed using classical atomic and spectroscopic techniques, whereas bioactivity and functionality testing was demonstrated by mimicking cellular transport based on kinesin, a motor protein capable to recognize, and move on the microtubules. Our results indicate that user-synthesized hybrid nanowires could be manipulated in vitro under constant chemical energy of adenosine triphosphate and have the potential to be implemented in the next generation of synthetic applications from drug delivery to diagnosis systems, and photocatalytic to optical devices.